Cutter-bar.



IN` 6833's Q f Patented-sept. 24. |901.

' w. H. Holmes.V l GUTTER BAR..

(Application led June 7, 1901;)

(no M'udel.)

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.;l

WILLIAM H. HODGES, OF UNION STAR, MISSOURI.

CUTTER-BAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,118, dated September 24, 1901.

Application filed .Tune '7, 1901.

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. HoDGEs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Union Star, in the county of Dekalb and State of Missouri, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cutter-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to harvesters, but more particularly to the class of reciprocating cutting apparatus, and has for its object to provide a cutter-bar which is strong and durable and not easily broken.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cutter-bar wherein the knife-head is so firmly held in position that it can never work loose. v

A further object of my invention is to provide a cutter-bar which precludes all possibility of the knife-blades or cutting-knives accidentally pulling off.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cutter-bar which does not require rivets or bolts to hold the cutting-knives in povsition.

vide a cutter-bar which does away with swaging of rivets when the cutting-knives are attached, thus saving the bar from the strain vand consequent weakening incident to swagi'ng the rivets.

A further object of my invention is to provide a cutter-bar which is simple in its construction, cheap to manufacture, easy of operation, and composed of a minimum number of parts.

With all these objects in view my nvention consists in the novel manner of Yattachy tering the perforations 9 and l0 in the cuting my cutting-knives to a cutter-bar.

My invention also consists lin the novel manner of holding the cutting-knives in position after the same have been attached to fthe cutter-bar.

My invention al-soconsists in certain other Serial No. 63,598. (No model.)

novel features of construction and in combination of parts, which will be hereinafter which form a part of this specilication, Figure lis a perspective view of my cutterbar,showing one of the cutting-knives detached. Fig. 2 is a detail View of one of my securing-plates inverted. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of my cutter-bar. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section along the lines X X of Fig. l.

Like numerals of reference indicate the same parts throughout the several figu res.

l is the cutter-bar, provided with the ball knife-head 2.' A series of blocks 3 are secured permanently on the upper side of the cutterbar, andA between said blocks are two upwardly-projecting pins 4 and 5, said pin 5 being slightly higher than pin 4 for a purposeV which will be hereinafter fully described. Pivoted on top of blocks 3 are my cuttingknife-securing plates 6, said plates being of such a length that when in position, as in Fig. l, the ends of each plate overlap and form a rabbet-joint 7.

8 indicates my cutting-knives beveled in the ordinary manner and provided near their rear ends with two perforations 9 and 10. Said cutting-knives are also cut away at 11, the projecting corners l2 abutting the blocks 3 when the cutting-knives are inserted in position between said blocks. A recess 13 is provided on the under side of my cutting-knife-securing plates, within which the pins 5 are adapted to register, as will be hereinafter fully described, and at the end of the cutter-bar l I provide a flange 14, under which the end securing-plate is slipped.

Having thus described the several parts of my invention, its operation is as follows: When it is desired to insert a knife-blade or cutting-knife in the cutter-bar, the securingplates 6 are thrown back, as shown in Fig. l,

and the cutting-knife is inserted between the blocks 3 and over pins 4 and 5, said pins enting-knife. The pin V5'is slightly higher than the knife is thick, and thus projects above the plane of said knife'. position, the cut-ting-knife-securing plate 6 is carried forward and over said cutting-knife,

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The knife being now in and the pin 5 having a rounded top said securing-plate passes over said pin until the recess 13-is directly over the same. When in this position, said plate springs down and securely holds the pin 5 in its recess 13. At the same time that the plate 6 is passing over the pin 5 the outer end of said plate is passing under the inner end of the next plate 6 and the inner end of the plate which is being swung into position is at the same time overlapping the outer end of the next plate 6 nearesttheknife-head2. Thusatthetimethe recess 13 is engaging the vpin 5 a rabbet-joint is being formed at both ends of the plate 6.

In order to operate my invention as just described, it is necessary to have some little play between the contiguous faces of the plates forming the rabbet-joints in order to allow the plate 6 to swing under the adjoining plate while rising over the pin 5. Should a snug joint be desired, however, said plates (l will have to be swung into position in rotation, commencing at the inner end of the cutter-bar, and swung out of position in rotation, commencing at the outer end of the cutterbar.

In order to carry out the object of the rabbet-joints, it is not at all necessary that the contiguous faces of the plates form a close contact,as one will prevent any vertical movement of the other sufficient to cause an accidental displacement of the cutting-knives. When, therefore, all of the cutting-knife-securing plates are inline in position, they form practically a solid metal har on top of the 4cutting-knives, the rabbet-joints precluding any vertical movement of said plates and the pin 5 holding said plates against any lateral movement thereof. It can thus be seen that the knives when attached to a cutter-bar in accordance with my invention are as solid, strong, and as free from any play or movement as if they were welded to the cutter-bar. When it becomes necessary to detach one of the knives, the operation just described is reversed, the securing-plate 6 is thrown back off the knife, as shown in Fig. l, and said knife then lifted off the pins t and 5 Having thus specifically described my invention and fully set forth the operation thereof, I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact construction herein set forth; nor do I wish to limit myself to any particular form of cutter-bar, cuttingknives, or securing-plates, as various slight changes might be made in the form and construction of my invention, and I consider myself clearly entitled to any and all such changes and modifications.

What I claim, however, as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In harvester cutting apparatus, the combination withacutter-barand cutting-knives, of means for attaching said knives, and a series of securing-plates above said knives, both ends of which form rabbet-joints with one another, substantially as described.`

2. In harvester cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutter-bar, cutting-knives secured thereto, securingplates attached to said cutter-bar, and forming rabbet-joints at the ends thereof, substantially as described.

In harvester cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutter-bar, pins secured therein, cuttingknives secured thereon, securingplates attached to said cutter-bar, and forming rabbet-joints at the ends thereof, substantially as described. p

4. In harvester cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutter-bar, pins secured therein, cutting -knives secured thereon, securingplates attached to said cutter-bar, having a recess on their under sides and forming rabbet-joints at the ends thereof, whereby said plates are held against any vertical or lateral movement, substantially as described.

5. In harvester cutting apparatus, the coinbination of a cutter-bar, pins of different lengths secured therein, cutting-knives secured thereon, securing-plates attached to said cutter-bar, having a recess on their under sides adapted to be engaged by the longer of said pins, and forming rabbet-joints at the ends thereof, substantially as described.

6. In harvestercutting apparatus, the combin ation of a cutter-bar, pins secured therein, cutting-knives secured thereon, blocks secured on said cutter-bar, securing-plates sccured on said blocks, having a recess in the under sides thereof, and forming rabbet -joints at the ends thereof,substantially as described.

7 In harvester cutting apparatus, the combination of a cutter-bar, pins of different lengths secured therein, cutting-knives secured thereon, blocks secured on said cutterbar, securing-plates secured on said blocks having a recess in the under sides thereof, adapted to be engaged by the longer of said pins, and forming rabbet-joints at the ends thereof, substantially as described.

8. In harvester cutting apparatus,the combination of a cutter-bar, pins of different lengths secu red therein,blocks secured on said cutter-bar, cutting-knives having perforations therein, and cut-away portions in the sides thereof, projecting cornersformed by said cut-away portions adapted to abut said blocks, securing-plates having a recess in the under side thereof, adapted to be engaged by the longer of said pinsin said cutter-bar, and rabbet-joints formed by the overlapping portions of said securing-plates, whereby the same are securely held against any vertical or lateral movement, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

IVILLIAM II. HODGES. \Vitnesses:

M. D. BARTON, W. C. CLARK.

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